A Pocket for Corduroy Free Unit Study

The World Around Me

City Life
Living in a city (especially a large city) may mean that a family has less room because cities can be crowded. Some families living in larger cities and apartments aren't able to have their own washer and dryer, so they go to the Laundromat to wash and dry their clothes. What other ways is big city life different? You may want to discuss public transportation (many people use the public transportation system because they don't have room to store a car); you may also want to discuss that in big cities, the houses and apartment buildings are close together which doesn't allow for large yards and play areas. Children in big cities play at the city parks.

There are also lots of different kinds of people who live in big cities together. (see next lesson)

People

Look through the illustrations of the book. You'll see people with different clothing styles, different colors of skin, and even someone who sounds different (the owner of the laundromat speaks Spanish). On the very first page there is a woman on the sidewalk wearing a sari (probably a woman from India). In the laundromat, there is an individual who is Asian, and later we see the owner is Hispanic and speaks Spanish.

God made everyone different & beautiful, and those differences may come in dressing a certain way because that is they way it is done in another country, or speaking a different language, etc. How lovely it is to see everyone in this story living so nicely together in a community.

Occupations
Discuss what an artist is-- a person skilled in one of the arts (as painting, sculpture, music, or writing). Discuss that some make a living by being an artist.

Where does your student's daddy (and other relatives) work? What other jobs do people have? How many different jobs can you and your student think of?

Language Arts

Vocabulary
laundromat- a place where people can go and use for self-service laundry
beret- a soft flat wool cap without a visor
studio- a place where an artist works
dizzy- causing one to feel as if they are moving in circles

Practice Writing Your Name
Let your student practice writing his name this week. If you are making a lapbook, print a pocket and let your student put his name inside the pocket.

Art

Painting
Let your student be an artist! Give her a palette of various colors and let her mix them together, as desired. Give her a piece of circle shaped paper and take some of the artist's inspiration-- paint a dryer with clothes swirling around.

Fabric and Textures
Let your student play with some scraps of fabric. Some ideas include: denim, satiny, corduroy, knit, cotton/woven, burlap, felt, etc. You can do lots of different things with the fabric. Here are some ideas:
1. Cut the fabric into pieces and glue on paper to make a texture picture
2. Try sewing with a needle and thread (your student may even want to try sewing a button or a pocket on a piece of fabric).
3. Use words to describe the feeling of each kind of fabric (fuzzy, smooth, soft, silky, rough)
4. Cut two swatches of each fabric and place one of each pair into a brown sack. Give your student one of the fabrics that you didn't put in the bag (i.e. silk). Let her feel it for a few seconds. Tell her to reach into the bag (without looking) and try to find the matching piece.

Bible and Character

Being a Good Listener
It's important to learn to listen to mommy and daddy! Corduroy didn't listen to Lisa's words, and because of that he ended up being lost/left behind/and in a "cage". Safety depends on listening and obeying your mom and dad. You may want to use Ephesians 6:1 as a memory verse for the week.

Being a Good Neighbor
The artist is very kind to take care of Corduroy's overalls, and leave him nicely at the laundromat to be found by Lisa. Discuss ways to be a good neighbor to the people around you. Read the story of the Good Samaritan to your student.
Go-along video-- Veggie Tales "Are You My Neighbor?"

Jesus Loves...
Sing "Jesus Love the Little Children" together and discuss that Jesus loves all kinds of different people! (This is probably best to do after you've discussed the "People" lesson).

Life Skills

Laundry
Let your student help you sort, wash, dry, fold, and put away laundry this week! Consider a field trip to a laundromat.

Library List

Corduroy by Don Freeman (find some resources for Corduroy on the Before Five in a Row Resource Page)
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems (*please preview)
Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer (*please preview)